Helmuth Ellgaard
Encyclopedia
Helmuth Ellgaard was a German
illustrator
, artist
and journalist
.
Helmuth Ellgaard was born in the then German Haderslev (Hadersleben) in Nordslesvig. In 1928, the family left Haderslev, which became Danish
after the Schleswig Plebiscites
, for Kiel. Soon, Ellgaard caught an interest in drawing
and painting
. He was educated at the Art academy
in Kiel in 1934, as he simultaneously worked as a news illustrator for the Kieler Neuste Nachrichten newspaper
. He also learned to sketch, and his specialty became fast sketches with charcoal
.
In 1938 he was newly wed and moved to Berlin
. After the outbreak of the second world war he became a war correspondent
, and as a Liutenant in the German air force
he participated in many raids as a journalist, including the Battle of Britain
in 1940. His works were published in the renowned weekly magazine Berliner Illustrierte Zeitung. During the war this two sons were born; Peter (1940) and Holger (1943).
The war had destroyed the large publishing houses in Berlin, and new newspapers and magazines were started in Hamburg
and München among other places. The Ellgaard family therefore moved to München, where Helmuth Ellgaard participated in starting the illustrated magazine Revue, which was one of the many new weekly magazines in post-war West Germany
. Ellgaard worked as an employee of the editorial staff as an image editor and news illustrator. In almost every issue there were illustrations by him, from 1953 also in color. His role model
s were the American
Norman Rockwell
and the Dane
Kurt Ard.
In 1956 he chose to become independent, and moved with the family to Hamburg. There he illustrated books and worked for advertising agencies. However, his important work during the period 1954 to 1961 was the illustration of a large number of film posters, where the poster from 1959 for the anti-war film "The Bridge
" (Die Brücke) is considered to be his most notable work. He died of a heart attack in 1980, 67 years old.
A large part of his works were donated in 2003 by his both sons Peter and Holger Ellgaard to the Haus der Geschichte
in Bonn
.
Germans
The Germans are a Germanic ethnic group native to Central Europe. The English term Germans has referred to the German-speaking population of the Holy Roman Empire since the Late Middle Ages....
illustrator
Illustrator
An Illustrator is a narrative artist who specializes in enhancing writing by providing a visual representation that corresponds to the content of the associated text...
, artist
Artist
An artist is a person engaged in one or more of any of a broad spectrum of activities related to creating art, practicing the arts and/or demonstrating an art. The common usage in both everyday speech and academic discourse is a practitioner in the visual arts only...
and journalist
Journalist
A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
.
Helmuth Ellgaard was born in the then German Haderslev (Hadersleben) in Nordslesvig. In 1928, the family left Haderslev, which became Danish
Danes
Danish people or Danes are the nation and ethnic group that is native to Denmark, and who speak Danish.The first mention of Danes within the Danish territory is on the Jelling Rune Stone which mentions how Harald Bluetooth converted the Danes to Christianity in the 10th century...
after the Schleswig Plebiscites
Schleswig Plebiscites
The Schleswig Plebiscites were two plebiscites, organized according to section XII, articles 109 to 114 of the Treaty of Versailles of June 28, 1919, in order to determine the future border between Denmark and Germany through the former duchy of Schleswig...
, for Kiel. Soon, Ellgaard caught an interest in drawing
Drawing
Drawing is a form of visual art that makes use of any number of drawing instruments to mark a two-dimensional medium. Common instruments include graphite pencils, pen and ink, inked brushes, wax color pencils, crayons, charcoal, chalk, pastels, markers, styluses, and various metals .An artist who...
and painting
Painting
Painting is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a surface . The application of the medium is commonly applied to the base with a brush but other objects can be used. In art, the term painting describes both the act and the result of the action. However, painting is...
. He was educated at the Art academy
Art school
Art school is a general term for any educational institution with a primary focus on the visual arts, especially illustration, painting, photography, sculpture, and graphic design. The term applies to institutions with elementary, secondary, post-secondary or undergraduate, or graduate or...
in Kiel in 1934, as he simultaneously worked as a news illustrator for the Kieler Neuste Nachrichten newspaper
Newspaper
A newspaper is a scheduled publication containing news of current events, informative articles, diverse features and advertising. It usually is printed on relatively inexpensive, low-grade paper such as newsprint. By 2007, there were 6580 daily newspapers in the world selling 395 million copies a...
. He also learned to sketch, and his specialty became fast sketches with charcoal
Charcoal
Charcoal is the dark grey residue consisting of carbon, and any remaining ash, obtained by removing water and other volatile constituents from animal and vegetation substances. Charcoal is usually produced by slow pyrolysis, the heating of wood or other substances in the absence of oxygen...
.
In 1938 he was newly wed and moved to Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
. After the outbreak of the second world war he became a war correspondent
War correspondent
A war correspondent is a journalist who covers stories firsthand from a war zone. In the 19th century they were also called Special Correspondents.-Methods:...
, and as a Liutenant in the German air force
Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe is a generic German term for an air force. It is also the official name for two of the four historic German air forces, the Wehrmacht air arm founded in 1935 and disbanded in 1946; and the current Bundeswehr air arm founded in 1956....
he participated in many raids as a journalist, including the Battle of Britain
Battle of Britain
The Battle of Britain is the name given to the World War II air campaign waged by the German Air Force against the United Kingdom during the summer and autumn of 1940...
in 1940. His works were published in the renowned weekly magazine Berliner Illustrierte Zeitung. During the war this two sons were born; Peter (1940) and Holger (1943).
The war had destroyed the large publishing houses in Berlin, and new newspapers and magazines were started in Hamburg
Hamburg
-History:The first historic name for the city was, according to Claudius Ptolemy's reports, Treva.But the city takes its modern name, Hamburg, from the first permanent building on the site, a castle whose construction was ordered by the Emperor Charlemagne in AD 808...
and München among other places. The Ellgaard family therefore moved to München, where Helmuth Ellgaard participated in starting the illustrated magazine Revue, which was one of the many new weekly magazines in post-war West Germany
West Germany
West Germany is the common English, but not official, name for the Federal Republic of Germany or FRG in the period between its creation in May 1949 to German reunification on 3 October 1990....
. Ellgaard worked as an employee of the editorial staff as an image editor and news illustrator. In almost every issue there were illustrations by him, from 1953 also in color. His role model
Role model
The term role model generally means any "person who serves as an example, whose behaviour is emulated by others".The term first appeared in Robert K. Merton's socialization research of medical students...
s were the American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Norman Rockwell
Norman Rockwell
Norman Percevel Rockwell was a 20th-century American painter and illustrator. His works enjoy a broad popular appeal in the United States for their reflection of American culture. Rockwell is most famous for the cover illustrations of everyday life scenarios he created for The Saturday Evening...
and the Dane
Danes
Danish people or Danes are the nation and ethnic group that is native to Denmark, and who speak Danish.The first mention of Danes within the Danish territory is on the Jelling Rune Stone which mentions how Harald Bluetooth converted the Danes to Christianity in the 10th century...
Kurt Ard.
In 1956 he chose to become independent, and moved with the family to Hamburg. There he illustrated books and worked for advertising agencies. However, his important work during the period 1954 to 1961 was the illustration of a large number of film posters, where the poster from 1959 for the anti-war film "The Bridge
Die Brücke (film)
Die Brücke is a West-German anti-war novel written by Gregor Dorfmeister, under the pseudonym of Manfred Gregor, and published in 1958 by Heyne Bücher....
" (Die Brücke) is considered to be his most notable work. He died of a heart attack in 1980, 67 years old.
A large part of his works were donated in 2003 by his both sons Peter and Holger Ellgaard to the Haus der Geschichte
Haus der Geschichte
Haus der Geschichte is a modern history museum in Bonn, Germany. Located on the Museumsmeile , the museum has exhibitions related to German history from 1945 until the present...
in Bonn
Bonn
Bonn is the 19th largest city in Germany. Located in the Cologne/Bonn Region, about 25 kilometres south of Cologne on the river Rhine in the State of North Rhine-Westphalia, it was the capital of West Germany from 1949 to 1990 and the official seat of government of united Germany from 1990 to 1999....
.
External links
- Museumsmagazin, Stiftung Haus der Geschichte der Bundesrepublik Deutschland, Nr 3/2003, S.18-19, ISSN 1433-349X
- Science Fiction by Helmuth Ellgaard on Retro-futurismus
- Posters by Helmuth Ellgaard on "Poster Treasures"